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In a surprising move ahead of The International 2023, Valve announced the discontinuation of the Dota Pro Circuit in 2024.
This decision created a void in the professional Dota 2 scene, prompting ESL to step in with the ESL Pro Tour Season 2.
Team Spirit currently leads the season with 2400 points, securing their position after winning DreamHack DreamLeague Season 21, followed closely by Shopify Rebellion with 2000 points.
ESL Pro Tour Season 2 is set to dominate the calendar with five tournaments, beginning with the highly anticipated ESL One Kuala Lumpur, officially kicking off the 2024 Dota 2 professional season.
All of our #ESLProTour tournaments this season feature Open & Closed Qualifiers so save the dates – maybe we could be seeing YOU compete against some of the best dota teams in the world! 😎 pic.twitter.com/fucfZWDfz3
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) November 29, 2023
ESL Pro Tour Season 2 introduces a new Dota 2 region, MENA, ensuring one guaranteed spot in ESL-hosted tournaments.
Uncertainty surrounds the inclusion of MENA in third-party tournaments, given its proximity to Europe, despite the region boasting a similar skill ceiling.
Following ESL One Kuala Lumpur, DreamLeague Season 22 is scheduled for late February to the first week of March, with qualifiers starting in January.
In April, an ESL LAN event in Europe will precede DreamLeague Season 23.
Open qualifiers for ESL One EU and DreamLeague Season 22 are set for January and March, respectively.
The pinnacle of ESL Pro Tour Season 2 arrives in July with a mysterious tournament.
Rumors circulate about a significant prize pool, potentially rivaling that of The International 2021.
Dzmitry “Fishman” Palishchuk fueled the speculation with an unverified claim of a US$45,000,000 prize pool.
The ESL Pro Tour is poised to reshape the Dota 2 professional scene, with ESL’s commitment evident in their schedule.
The introduction of the EPL Leaderboard awards teams with EPT Points, determining direct invites to the July ‘Showdown’ event.
The ESL Pro Tour calendar for 2024 includes three online DreamLeague seasons and two live ESL One tournaments.
The season kicks off with DreamLeague Season 22 in late February, followed by ESL One Europe in person in April.
May sees DreamLeague Season 23 before the July Showdown event.
Shane Clarke, Director Game Ecosystems – Dota 2 at ESL FACEIT Group, expressed excitement about the 2024 ESL Pro Tour, promising remarkable moments, eye-watering prize pools, and an unwavering dedication to the Dota 2 community.
Post-Showdown, ESL Pro Tour Season 3 begins with another DreamLeague season and ESL One competition in October and November, respectively.
ESL One Asia concludes the season in December, with the remaining tournaments scheduled for 2025.
These developments mark a significant shift in Dota 2’s competitive landscape following Valve’s discontinuation of the Dota Pro Circuit, with ESL taking the reins to provide an electrifying and competitive professional scene.
